Making Amends
by tt22123
Summary: Harry has returned to Hogwarts for an eighth year but soon receives news that Andromeda has passed away and he is all Teddy has left. Severus discovers what it is like to raise a child when he starts to help Harry during a rough night. Disclaimer; I do not own Harry Potter, unfortunately.


Harry wandered, uncaring of the tear tracks along his cheeks, as he tried to lull Teddy of to sleep in his arms. Andromeda died shortly after the war so Teddy was sent to live with his godfather in Hogwarts for his final year there before moving into their own house.

"Sneaking around the dungeons so late after curfew Mr Potter? You don't change at all I see."

"Not now Sir, please. Teddy likes the dungeons for some reason and I just want to get him off to sleep." More silent tears joined the tracks on Harry's pale cheeks as he battled exhaustion and the thought of being unable to care for his godson properly. The tears weren't missed by the potions master as he stepped closer and he suddenly felt bad for the teen he had grown closer to during his trial.

"Come along Potter."

"Sir please, just take points or give me a detention tomorrow."

"Harry, come with me." Snape's voice took on a tender tone as he spoke these words so Harry walked after him, still rocking Teddy in his arms. When they reached the man's chambers Harry sat next to Snape on the sofa once he had been ordered to sit down by the man who was fed up of watching him pace but to no avail.

"I can't get him to go to sleep, normally when that happens we come down to the dungeons and he falls asleep watching the different paths. It's just not working tonight so you managed to find us."

"May I?" Snape asked as he held out his arms towards the child. Harry handed him over without a word, the trust having grown between them somewhat after Harry had argued his, Draco's and Narcissa's cases at their trials. "He seems to be coming down with a slight fever, give me a few minutes and I'll have him back to himself in no time." Teddy was handed back to Harry as Snape stood and walked over to his potions cabinet, withdrew one and took it over to a small cauldron. True to his words, a few minutes later Snape returned and passed Harry a tiny vial with some potion in.

"Thank you. What's this?"

"Modified, baby-safe, Fever Few. Don't worry, I'm not trying to poison your child or anything."

"I never thought you were, just thought it would be helpful to know in the future." Harry emptied the vial into Teddy's mouth and the child immediately began to settle.

"Oh, very well." The two men sat in silence until Teddy feel asleep and Snape transfigured the empty potion vial into a cot for the child. Harry placed him in there before sitting back down on the sofa, head in hands.

"I don't think I can do this. He's only been in my care for a week and he's ill. More than that though, I couldn't even tell that he was ill, you figured that out instantly. I don't know how to look after a baby Sir. I'm just going to end up screwing up his life. He's never going to get any privacy being my son, he'll always end up in the papers because for some reason it is news what I dress him in. I should never have agreed to do this." Harry's shoulders began shaking as the tears came in full force this time, silently sobbing into his hands. Snape hesitantly moved closer to the eighteen year old and wrapped an arm around his hunched shoulders, pulling him into a somewhat awkward hug.

"You can do this Harry, I know you can. No one knows how to be a perfect parent the first time around, and you're still in school, you're young. You can't help that he is ill, he's gone from seeing a couple of visitors to living in a school with hundreds, he was bound to catch something. I know the signs because I have spent the last 18 years as a teacher. He will be in the papers yes, but he will be fine for that. Like you said it will tend to be what he is wearing and where the adorable boy has been, that he can take his godson." Snape was talking normally but mumbled those last few words as he realised what he was saying. Harry wiped his tears and sat up, leaning into the potion masters embrace slightly.

"What was that last bit?"

"Nothing."

"I think it was."

"I think you must be coming down with something as well. Hearing things."

"Nah, I don't think so. I wouldn't dare insult you by saying you're terrifying presence is adorable so I'll stick with handsome. Yeah, handsome suits you I think," Harry stated calmly before pressing a quick kiss to the potion masters cheek before ducking back down to hide himself in the hug he was being given.

"That proves it. Definitely ill." Harry made a quiet sound of objection but didn't say anything. After a few minutes of silence Snape looked down at the teen, only to find him sleeping in his embrace. With a silent chuckle Severus summoned a blanket which he placed over the teen before resting his own head on the back of the sofa and following the boy into the depths of unconsciousness.

The potions master woke up first, as he always woke up incredibly early but decided against getting ready for the day when he noticed Harry still sleeping soundly with him as a pillow. When he heard the telltale sounds of being awake from the cot he carefully reached in and pulled out the child as best as he could without disturbing Harry too much. He sat back in his previous position but this time with his arms around the baby in his lap rather than the teen next to him. When Teddy began to make slight sucking motions the potions master called a house elf and asked them to retrieve the some baby milk from Potter's room and bring him a bottle, which the elf happily obliged to doing, all of them having become smitten with the tiny bundle of human.

Teddy was nearly done with his bottle when suddenly Potter shot upright and looked in the cot for Teddy, panicking somewhat at the lack of child until he turned and spotted his godson in Severus' arms, happily drinking his milk, while said man watched him with an amused smirk.

"Oh shut up you, I don't tend to have help so when he isn't in his cot, I panic, especially when I know that he would have been fussing by now if he didn't have a bottle."

"I didn't say a word."

"No but you were thinking it, I saw that smile."

"Well, you've got me there I suppose." Harry looked down and chuckled slightly when he looked at Teddy before looking back at the man.

"I think he likes you." Severus looked down and sure enough, the baby metamorphus had given himself shoulder length black hair, and obsidian colour eyes, a gummy smile sent towards the man holding him.

"He doesn't normally have the trademark Potter hair and Lily's green eyes, does that mean he doesn't like you?"

"Perhaps, but he loves his cousin which is why he normally keeps Draco's hair. He didn't seem to like Teddy at first because he was a reminder of the family he lost that he never knew, this was Teddy's way of bonding with him. It took a couple of days for Draco to come around to having his cousin here. It doesn't matter to me what he looks like."

"Draco needs him around, he hasn't really got anyone else. I'm glad you haven't taken Teddy from him."

"I couldn't do that to either of them. He's the only family I have anymore, I don't know what I would do if someone took him away from me."

"He's not your only family, what about your aunt and uncle, you could always find out where they went before the war and find them." Harry let out a bitter laugh at this idea.

"I would never do that. No contact with them is preferential to ever being back in their grasp again. They are my family ONLY through blood. I definitely wouldn't go near then again while Teddy is in my care, I don't want him growing up the way I did."

"What do you mean? I thought you were-"

"A pampered prince?"

"Well, yes."

"The only pampering I ever got was if I was allowed a meal that day, or if it was just fists rather than the buckle." Harry looked somewhat saddened as he tickled Teddy's belly gently, drawing soft giggles from the child.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll be here to help whenever you need Harry. Always."

"Thanks Sir."

"Severus."

"What?"

"When it's just us, you can call me Severus, or Sev if you prefer."

"Okay then, thank you Severus." Harry smiled up at the man and his happiness only grew as his smile was returned.

"You start lessons again tomorrow don't you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, it's been odd having no lessons through the last week so I could move rooms and get Teddy here settled in."

"What are you going to do with him during them?"

"Just bring him with me, if need be I can set up a silencing charm around the two of us so he won't disturb anyone else."

"He won't be able to be in the room while we're brewing. It's dangerous."

"But you brewed that Fever Few in here last night?!"

"Harry, do you really think I would ever do anything that could harm him or any baby? I wasn't brewing, I was merely adapting a previously brewed potion. Besides, one small cauldron is not the same as 15 full size cauldrons."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I'll set up the cot in my office and place a window charm on the wall so you can still hear and see if he needs anything, if you want?"

"That would be perfect Sev." Harry rested his head on the other's shoulder as he watched Teddy trying to capture the long, slender fingers of the potions master as they danced above him, occasionally swooping down to tickle him or gently poke his nose.

"I guess we've probably over stayed our welcome so I'll take him if you want. Let you actually get some rest and respite from students this weekend."

"I meant it when I said 'whenever' Harry, you could never overstay your welcome here."

"Thanks Sev, but I've still got to go, I promised Draco a play date with Teddy. I'm sure you'll see me again soon. If not tonight or tomorrow in the dungeons with a sleepless baby, in potions on Tuesday. Or at meal times but you know, I'm rambling, aren't I? Feel free to stop me whenever you like."

"Go then, don't be late for your play date, I don't want MY godson coming to me pouting because YOUR godson was late. I look forward to it, feel free to come to me if you need any help, or if his fever seems to come back at all."

"Thanks for your help Sev," Harry stated as he brazenly placed a kiss to the other's cheek while taking Teddy out of his arms. "You'd make a good dad, you know that right?" With these final words Harry walked out of the chambers without waiting for a response from the stunned man on the sofa, who was still watching the closed door Harry had just disappeared through.

That night Harry found himself wandering around the dungeons again, the fever fine but just a normal restless baby after a day of playing. As soon as Teddy was asleep Harry say down against the wall and closed his eyes.

"You know, you're going to know your way around the dungeons better than any of my snakes." Harry whipped his eyes open and looked up to see the man leaning against the wall with arms folded and black eyes watching him. A smile formed on Harry's face as he took in the sight before closing his eyes once more, the grin still there as he leant his head against the cool stone wall.

"None of them have a child who won't go to sleep except in the dungeons."

"There is that fact. That floor can't be comfy."

"It isn't really, but it is closer than the tower is, I'd forgotten why I hated detentions with you so much until I had to do the walk from dungeons to the seventh floor when tired. Anyone would think your godson was a toddler himself the way he kept me running around after him and Teddy, trying to keep them BOTH out of harm."

"That was why you hated detentions with me? I feel as if I wasn't hard enough on you now then, if the walk back was the worst thing." Harry made a non-committal noise as he drifted further away from reality much to the amusement, and worry, of the potions master. He had moved the cot out of the centre of his rooms but it still remained so he carefully lifted both boys and carried them back to his chambers. First using magic to move the crib into the bedroom he then positioned Harry on the bed before taking Teddy to put into his own bed. He walked back to the bed and removed Harry's shoes and glasses before pulling covers up over him and leaving the room.

Being a spy previously Snape was used to waking up for little things, this time he sat there for a couple of seconds before once again hearing the noise that woke him, a quiet whimper coming from the bedroom. He walked in there and over to the cot before realising that the child was sleeping soundly, rather the sounds were coming from the teen on the bed who appeared to be in the throes of a nightmare.

"Harry? It's okay, whatever it is, isn't real. You're just having a nightmare Harry, it's not real. You're in my chambers in the dungeons at Hogwarts, just me, you and Teddy. You're okay child, so is Teddy. No harm will come to you here, what you are feeling isn't real. Come on, wake up, open your eyes for me Harry." Snape continued to whisper reassurances to the teen until the green eyes fluttered open and he sat up. He seemed disorientated as he looked around the room for a couple of minutes before focusing his blurry gaze on the potion master.

"Where am I?"

"In my chambers."

"So this is-"

"My bed? Indeed. Don't worry, I didn't try anything, you fell asleep in the corridor and I quite agree that the walk is too long, especially carrying two people so I simply brought you here. Teddy is in his cot, your shoes are by the closet and glasses on the drawers next to the bed."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well it doesn't exactly look like anyone else was sleeping in the bed, and I'd know anyway, I don't get any nightmares when someone else is in the bed. So where were you seeing as how you gave me your bed?"

"I was in an armchair in my living room."

"Don't be so silly."

"What?"

"Come on, climb in."

"You are my student."

"And you're my professor, but we aren't doing anything, just sleeping."

"It still wouldn't be right."

"Then I'll sleep in the chair so you can have your bed."

"Now it is you who is being absurd."

"Sev- please, they are your options." Harry had always found that he lost any filter he might have had when he was tired so he was unable to stop his next words. "Believe me, I would happily do more with you but for now, sleep is enough." Snape hesitated when he heard these words, knowing that this was something new between them if he accepted the offer of sharing the bed but his mind was made up when he heard the quiet plea of the boy. "Please? At least just to stop the dreams if not because of any feelings there may or may not be."

"You're on my side." Harry let out a relieved laugh as he rolled over to the opposite side of the bed, holding the covers up for the other man to climb in. Snape toed off his shoes and slipped into the sheets, both men laying tensely for a couple of minutes before giving in. "Do not mention this to anyone Potter, come here." Harry moved slightly closer before letting out a startled yelp as the older man pulled him closer into a hug, leaving Harry's head on his chest and an arm around his shoulders, Harry soon returning the contact as he threw his arm over Snape's waist, eyes closing as he listened to the steady rhythmic beating of the man's heart.

"Severus Snape likes to cuddle!" Harry said in a quiet singsong voice without opening his eyes, therefore unseeing of the hand that swatted the side of his head in jest.

"I can always leave you here alone Potter," Severus threatened mockingly.

"NO! No, I'm sorry, stay. You're warm, and I like cuddly you. Cuddly Snape is nice."

"Are you quite alright Harry?"

"Mmm, just tired."

"Sleep then child."

"And miss my cuddly Snape? Never!"

"You need to sleep, I will not put up with a Potter that says everything he thinks again. Besides, we both have lessons tomorrow, I'd prefer if I didn't fall asleep in a student's cauldron when looking at the abomination they brewed."

"m'kay. Nigh' night Sev'rus."

"Goodnight Harry, sweet dreams." Harry purred contentedly as a chaste kiss was placed to the crown of his head.


End file.
